Forbidden
by altura9
Summary: During a quiet moment together, Simon convinces Metis to love again. One-shot.


"Dr. Cykes, would you ever consider teaching me how to wield that katana?" Simon asked his mentor, eyes raising to indicate the sword hanging on the wall of the laboratory.

It was a strange thing to ask in the middle of a psychology lesson, even if they were currently enjoying a short break. Metis Cykes looked up from her paperwork for the impending HAT-1 launch and pondered Simon's question with a frown. "And what has got you thinking about that?"

Simon shrugged, his eyes still fixed on the katana. "Well, I must admit that your interest in Japanese culture has sparked a similar interest in me. And Athena always goes on and on about 'how cool Mom looks with her sword.' I bet that is something to see." He favored her with a smile.

Metis had always found it difficult to resist that smile of his. "Well, my daughter is quite right," she said playfully. "Her mother cuts an impressive figure with a katana."

"So...does that mean you are considering it, then?"

"Hm." She lowered her gaze, thinking about that for a second. Then she looked back up at him with a wink. "I suppose I could teach you, yes. It's a nice day - we can have our first swordplay demonstration outside after our lesson is finished."

"Excellent," said the young prosecutor, his face lighting up joyfully. He made to get up then, as if the idea excited him so much that they needed to go right now. Metis found his enthusiasm a bit strange - it would just be a swordplay demonstration at most - but she decided not to press the issue. She raised a hand to stop him from falling out of his chair, a small smile forming on her lips. "Ah ah. Like I said - after the lesson. We're not finished yet."

Simon gave her a look of mock frustration before plopping down in his seat as instructed. The lesson continued without a hitch after their break, though Metis noticed that her student was antsier than usual throughout, tapping his fingers impatiently and answering her questions with an uncharacteristic pep.

_Well, I can't complain if he's passionate about the material_, Metis thought happily. Though the lesson had gone well, they concluded a bit early so that she had time to remove the katana from its display on the wall, and then they headed out of the robotics laboratory together.

With sword in hand, teacher and pupil walked out to the small garden that Metis herself had installed just beyond the space center grounds. Director Cosmos had actually agreed to fund the project personally after she had convinced him that the garden would be a peaceful place for his astronauts to meditate before embarking on missions to space. The director, always open to new and exciting ideas, could hardly say no to one of his most dedicated and respected staff members, and Metis was glad for it as the tiny grove came into sight.

The garden was shaded from the rays of the summer sun by a few tall trees and sprinkled with color by bunches of persistent wildflowers that grew throughout the area. There was also a wide patch of grass in the middle of the garden meant for picnics and quiet reflection, and it was here where Metis had decided to stand for her swordplay demonstration. Simon hurried to follow her.

"Now," she said pointedly to her student. "This will be a quick lesson, as I said - more of a demonstration than anything - but you'll get a good idea of what goes into properly wielding the katana." Simon nodded curtly at her from his cross-legged position on the ground.

Metis took a deep, steadying breath before unsheathing the katana in one fluid movement, swinging it out slowly until it was horizontal with her chest. She gave a few practice swings with the sword, slicing the air expertly while Simon watched. The sun's rays reflected off of the keen edge of the blade as it zipped through empty space.

"Swordplay isn't something that can be learned in a day," said Metis in the tones that she adopted when delivering a lecture. "My father started teaching me the basics when I was quite young, and I practiced at it whenever I had a free moment."

She gave a few more practice swings before gesturing for Simon to come over. "The best way to start is to 'feel' how a master wields the sword. And to do that, you have to allow them to put their hands over yours as you hold the blade."

"Unfortunately, though," she said, "you'll have to come stand behind me to feel how I'm holding the katana, since my arms are too short to reach around you..."

"Of course, Dr. Cykes." Simon nodded again, understanding. Though Metis could tell that he was trying to be cool for the demonstration, he was now trotting over to her with a look of silly excitement plastered on his face. And was there something else in that expression as well? Metis was curious, but she decided to shrug it off.

Once he had situated himself behind her, he took a deep breath and reached out to grasp the sword as she had instructed. In this position, she realized with some shock - and a weird sort of pleasure - just how tall he was, and how snugly she fit into the curve of his body.

For some reason, Metis felt her own body tense up as his arms looped around her to hold the katana's handle. He was so close that she could smell the appealing cologne he was wearing, so close that she could see the sparkle in his eye when she turned to look at him. He really was very handsome, she thought. She had noticed it before, of course, but now that they were so close together, she had the opportunity to admire the sleek lines of his face and the liquid gray of his eyes.

"Like this?" he asked quietly. His hands were cool and relaxed over her own.

"Y-yes," replied Metis. 'Now..." She quivered slightly as she raised the blade higher in the air, her gaze rising with it. "Try to remember the arm motions I use as I swing the sword."

Metis was keenly aware of Simon's heartbeat against her back as she sliced the sword through the air - in a strange way, he had become like an extension of her own body. In fact, she was quite sure that his heart rate was actually speeding up with each flick of her wrist. It suddenly hit her that maybe Simon's true intention today was not to learn how to wield a katana at all - or at least that was not his _primary_ intention. Her own heart fluttered at the thought, though she could not be sure why.

But she continued to twirl the blade through the air, stopping every now and then to explain the more complicated movements she was making. He listened intently until she ran out of advice to give. "That's about all of the basics I can teach you in one session," she said with finality. "The rest will have to wait until our next lesson."

"You make it all look so easy," he said wistfully.

She was flattered, but she tried not to let it show. "Well...as I said, I didn't learn it in a day. It took years of hard practice."

"Would you be willing to put up with me for that long?" His face was mere inches away from her now, his smile bright, his lips inviting.

"O-of course," Metis stuttered out, and she turned her head to look him straight in the face. He was sporting that same strangely excited expression he had worn while striding over to loop his arms around her, and she felt the now familiar flutter of her heart in her chest.

She wasn't sure what compelled her to do it - she wasn't even completely sure who moved first - but she found herself tilting her face to the side as he came closer. Sooner than she had expected, his lips were touching hers, and they were kissing in earnest.

A rush of thoughts invaded her mind all at once. This was her student she was kissing. What in the world was she thinking? How had they even gotten to this point? Sure, it felt nice, but...it just wasn't right. Or at least it wouldn't have seemed right until a few moments ago. What really shocked her, though, was the jolt of her own heart as their lips connected. It seemed to awaken something dormant inside of her chest, and she deepened the kiss as the sensation washed over her.

She hadn't felt such a jolt of longing since she had been with Athena's father. A car accident had stolen him away from her years ago, and she had been so devastated that she thought she would never be able to love again. Athena had been six at the time, and it was all Metis could do to keep her own sadness at bay while ensuring that her daughter recovered from the trauma of his death. She had thought for sure that dating, relationships, and love were behind her, things to be forgotten in the wreckage of her past. She had Athena to care for, after all. By diving headfirst into her work at the space center, she had hoped to quash all of her lingering desires for romance, and for a long while she had been successful in that attempt.

But this...in this brief moment with Simon, falling in love again didn't seem like such a stupid idea anymore. She reached out to stroke his rich black hair, and he gave a moan of approval into her mouth as her fingers swept through his tousled locks.

_Ah, but wait_, she thought suddenly. _You know how Aura looks at you. Imagine how she would feel if she saw you wrapped in her brother's arms like this_. She would be horrified - sickened, even.

But Aura's love was something she could never return, as bad as she felt about it. All she could offer was the warmth and kindness of a superior and co-worker, even if that would never be enough for the other woman. It felt cold and harsh to shove Aura aside in her mind like that, but things being as they were, she could not be forced to dwell on it. She felt the katana fall to the ground, forgotten in her sudden passion.

It seemed like an eternity before their lips finally parted. When they broke away, Simon was staring at her with shining eyes, his arms circling her in a gentle but firm embrace.

Still, she could hear a tinge of shame in his voice when he spoke, as if he had suddenly remembered himself. "Dr. Cykes, I -"

"I know," said Dr. Cykes quickly. She could not let him finish - if she did, she might be too weak to say what needed to be said. "I know how you feel. But listen...we - we can't do this..."

"Why not?" protested Simon breathlessly. "Yes, we are teacher and student, I realize that, but there are no formal rules keeping us apart."

"Well, technically no, but...I - I don't know, Simon. I'm so much older than you..."

"I could not care less about that," he said earnestly. "You're brilliant, you're inspirational, you're..." He let her go for a second to step back, as if she were radiating light before him. "You're beautiful, Metis." The look in his eyes bespoke the sincerity of his words.

Metis felt her heart give a delightful twist in her chest. She didn't even care that he had dropped her title, nor that he was speaking to her so informally. It had been so long since anyone had called her beautiful, and to hear it from such a handsome young man as Simon Blackquill was nearly enough to make her flush.

"I - I've loved you for months now," continued Simon. "I know it's not necessarily...the most professional thing to say to one's mentor, but...I have never so connected with someone on an intellectual and personal level as I have with you. Everything is in sync between us."

If his earlier praise had been enough to make Metis flush, this was enough to make her melt. He was threatening to break down all of the defenses she had so carefully erected over the years, and she was _this_ close to letting him do it. But somehow - out of prudishness or a strange sense of honor, she did not know - she still felt the need to argue her point. "You may not always feel like that. I know these feelings seem very strong and unalterable right now, but time does cruel things to people. You are still young - you will eventually notice other girls, girls who are closer to your age and who have more in common with you..."

"I don't see anyone else." His voice had that steadfast certainty of the young in love, and Metis was temporarily taken in by it. "Please, Metis. I've worked up my courage for weeks now to confess to you, and I never thought I would be lucky enough to receive a confession in return."

That made Metis chuckle in spite of herself. "Did I confess? Interesting - I don't remember doing so."

"You did not turn away from the kiss," said Simon, as if that confirmed it. Metis could see a blush creep up his cheeks at his own boldness.

They were only a few feet away now, but Metis felt the sudden urge to step back. Between them was an abyss that she was not sure she wanted to fall into, as tempting as it was. But she had no witty response to what Simon had just said - it was the truth.

"And to think we came out here to practice sword technique." A lame response, but it was the only thing that had come to her mind.

"It was something of a pretense," Simon admitted, but then he indicated the fallen katana. "But I am also very interested in your prowess with the sword. It is yet another aspect of you that intrigues me, especially since Athena is always so eager to talk about it."

"And...what _of_ Athena?" she asked desperately, fishing for protests while secretly hoping he would be able to fight them off. Simon knew about Athena's father, as well as how devastated the girl had been after his death. She was certain that Simon would never do anything that he thought might make Athena uncomfortable.

Simon smiled ruefully. "Yes...I'll admit it would be awkward to explain the situation to Athena. But you know we already get along very well, and can you deny that the best thing for Athena would be to see her mother happy?"

She could _not_ deny it, she realized. For so long she had thought only of how her actions would affect Athena and those closest to her, never about what would make _her_ happiest. And right now she knew that, besides Athena, the person who made her happiest was currently standing before her.

"I could make you happy," he added quickly, as if to confirm her thoughts. He lowered his eyes modestly.

"Truth be told, I believe you could," said Metis, her voice dripping sadness. "But I have said my piece, and I can't bear to linger on this, Simon. Let us just...continue as we were before." She had never been great with words, and this was all she could promise. "Now...did you want to learn to wield a katana or not?"

She had not said yes or no to him. She had simply let the conversation drop right there, though she could see that Simon still wanted to say more. The ghost of a protest was on his lips as he locked eyes with her, but eventually her steady stare won out, and he bowed stiffly before returning to his sitting position on the grass.

They continued the swordplay demonstration in silence, but Metis noted that his dark eyes never lost their sparkle as they watched her move.

* * *

After the lesson, they walked back into the space center proper, taking their time and talking amiably about sword techniques. Simon's easy tone nearly convinced Metis that the matter had been fully decided. Indeed, she was certain they would never kiss again, their short romance having blossomed and withered in the small garden just outside of the center grounds. And if she were being completely honest with herself, that thought sliced painfully at her heart.

But when they had returned to the lab to tie up some loose ends, and both Athena and Aura were out of sight, she found her hand accidentally brushing Simon's over their work. An uncharacteristically spontaneous idea crossed her mind at that moment. Touches can express what words cannot, she thought. She remembered their kiss in the garden.

And for the first time in her life, Metis Cykes ignored reason and took a chance. Despite all of her earlier protests, and before she could really think about what she was doing, she had twined her fingers through Simon's. He ran his thumb gently across her knuckles in approval, a quiet smile gracing his features. Metis's heart swelled at the sight.

For just a few short seconds, teacher and student were in love like a teenage couple - at least before they were forced to pull out of each other's grasp upon Aura's return to the lab. They fussed about awkwardly with their papers for a bit to make it look as if their hands had never touched.

When Metis was finally brave enough to look to the side again, she caught the expression on Simon's face. All of the lingering tension of their discussion in the garden seemed to dissipate in the brilliant gleam of his smile.

_Well_, the smile seemed to say. _I can keep a secret if you can_.

Metis lowered her gaze shyly for a second, then glanced back up at him with courage.

_Alright_, she said with her eyes.

She looked over her shoulder to make sure that Aura was facing away before moving to touch lips with him, soft as a whisper. Then she pulled back to continue with her work, and they were teacher and student again.

For now.


End file.
